ABSTRACT
The primary research participants had an artistic and educational experience creating art and writing for Inside-Out Magazine, and working on all aspects leading to the publication of both the magazine and the culminating project The Outside Guide. In the participatory action research (PAR) approach, the researcher can have access to data through encounters with stakeholders. It is difficult to imagine that the richness of a participatory methodology could be duplicated by traditional research methods. This understanding is rich in insights that are not solely the result of a reasoning process—it is similar to artistic intuition. PAR can enable us to learn from our experiences and in the case of this study, improve programming for teens in custody. Participatory research is a collaborative research methodology that welcomed the center's Arts and Crafts instructor and the teens who participate in the center's arts program—all were invited to contribute.
